It was something that I had been waiting to witness, taking a quick glimpse at the fenced-off area as I drove past the Cultural Centre on my way to work every day for the past couple weeks.
On Friday morning, I wasn’t really expecting to see anything different, other than some more debris behind the fence, but it was obvious from a couple blocks away when I saw the missing bricks along the east side of the building, that the Cultural Centre, or old St. Paul School, would be gone by the end of that day.
The building has a long history in the community, originally dating back to the 1930s. It held countless young students throughout the years – and not just traditional school students, but it was a long-time home for dance students too, and I personally remember heading into the basement when I was quite young to watch my youngest brother do karate there.
It was a building that stood out on St. Paul’s main street. Standing on the same block as some of the other prominent buildings in town, namely the cathedral, driving past the area will no doubt have a different feel to it now.
As I stood watching some of the demolition take place Friday, there were a few others who stopped and took a minute to watch. Most stood quietly. Sometimes briefly chatting with the men hired to do the demolition work.
It was a sombre feeling. It was as if you were watching the passing of time, clearly right in front of your eyes.
What was once a building that was a pillar of the community - so much so that when it partially burnt in the early 1980s, it was rebuilt - was now just a pile of debris.
But, the demolition had also become a necessity. With no one stepping up to care for the aging building, things had gone from bad to worse.
I personally was given a tour just a couple months ago of the building. Strange things were growing on the walls. The air was heavy. Ceilings in the basement were sagging. It wasn’t safe, and without millions of dollars, it could not be saved.
The most recent owner of the building was the East Central Francophone Education Region, who had purchased it from ACFA-St. Paul. Neither of these groups have a mandate to restore buildings, nor do they have the funds to maintain facilities they don’t need.
Although some ideas had floated around about what the building could be used for, nothing happened. And no one can be blamed.
After posting a short video of the start of the demolition on Facebook, a few Journal readers noted it was a shame to see the building destroyed. And to a certain extent I can agree.
As luck would have it, I would find myself in Edmonton on Saturday, visiting with family and celebrating a 60th wedding anniversary. Once again, I found myself feeling like I was witnessing the passing of time, but in a much more celebratory way.
My uncle, who now lives in the Vancouver area, was at the anniversary. He is among the class that can claim to be the last graduating class from the original St. Paul School building in 1959.
A class photo at the St. Paul Museum has my uncle’s name listed first, as he stands in the back row of the photo.
When I mentioned to him the building had been demolished just the day before we gathered, he wasn’t upset. He understood. It was time.
I’m sure he was not dismissing the importance of keeping history alive and ensuring we salvage crucial pieces of the past. We all know that’s important. But, it was time.
